


Spring of Drowned Girl

by Little_Miss_Numbers



Series: Spring of Drowned Girl [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), Ranma 1/2
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/M, Female Danny, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderfluid Character, M/M, cursed springs, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-31 15:43:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6476251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Miss_Numbers/pseuds/Little_Miss_Numbers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny fell in the Spring of Drowned Girl 10 years ago on his honeymoon and now he turns into a girl every time he gets hit with cold water. But it's not that big a deal, really. Just so long as his team never finds out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spring of Drowned Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Translation into 中文 available: [Spring of Drowned Girl](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12113151) by [Celeste_030](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Celeste_030/pseuds/Celeste_030).

She was short, curvy, obvious still in her conservative one piece bathing suit, but still pretty trim, with long wavy red hair tied in a loose braid over one shoulder and furious blue eyes that Steve found strangely familiar.

"Look, I'm really sorry, miss," said Steve. "I really didn't see you."

"Yeah, well next time why don't you watch where you're going, will ya?" she said bent down gathering up the stuff she'd spilled, mostly beach supplies, and Steve recognized the Jersey accent and wondered if everyone from New Jersey was that angry, and if maybe he should lay off Danno a bit. Apparently he can't help it.

"Here let me help you," he said kneeling down too. "Maybe I can get you a shaved ice or something, as an apology?"

The girl stopped mid motion reaching for her sunscreen and looked up at Steve. "Are you seriously hitting on me?"

"Uh, not if you don't want me to," said Steve quickly trying to cover his tracks.

"Unbelievable." She picked up her sunscreen and snatched her towel and her book away from Steve shoving it all back into her beach bag.

"I'm really sorry," Steve tried again a little amazed at how upset she was at just having her bag accidentally knocked over. "Could I--?"

"No!" she interrupted him sticking a finger out to stop him. "I am going to go home and take a nice hot bath and pretend this whole thing never happened. And you are going to stay away from me, understand?"

"I--" Steve started to say but she interrupted him again.

"No," she said. "Not a word." And she turned around. "God, I knew this was a bad idea," she muttered. And Steve just stared after her, wondering what the hell just happened.

\---

When Steve jumped from boat to boat on the docks he looked like he could fly. Danny doubted he looked half that graceful, keeping up as best he could with his much shorter legs. That and the fact that Danny was being a lot more careful, because really, someone should have a some sense of self-preservation around here. Still he was keeping pace, even if Steve did run like a goddamned gazelle when he was chasing perps.

Finally they reached the end of the row and, without even a moment's hesitation, their perp leapt into the water. And Steve of course followed, leaping over the rail like it wasn't even there and not even bothering to take a moment to look at what he was jumping into. Danny had to leap back to avoid getting hit by the giant splash, and damn, that was a bit close for comfort.

And so Danny leaned against the railing and watched Steve drag their perp back through the murky water towards the pier and wondered how it was Steve had actually survived to 34.

 

"So what was that?" asked Steve, still soaking wet as he dragged their handcuffed perp back to the car, giving her a push every once in awhile when she put up a bit of resistance. "Were you waiting for an engraved invitation?"

"You're seriously confused as to why I wouldn't want to jump head first into a polluted harbour without even looking first?" asked Danny taking care to give Steve a decent birth. "I am not the one screwed in the head here."

"God, you're such a girl, Danno," said Steve. 

Danny looked back at Steve dumbfounded for a moment. "Seriously, that's where you're going to go?"

"He's right," said the perp. "It's just water. Grow a pair."

"Oh my God, you are like ten pounds soaking wet," Danny said to their perp. "Also we are arresting you for bombing men's clubs. What kind of a feminist are you?"

"At least I'm not afraid of a bit of water," she said. And to prove her point, she lunged at him and Danny jumped back while Steve got a proper hold on her again.

"See, sissy," said the perp with a mean grin. 

"Do me a favour, accidentally bang her head on the door or something when you put her in the car," said Danny. 

But instead of the happy puppy-dog grin that usually accompanied Danny actually suggesting police brutality Steve was looking back at Danny with a curious look. 

 

"So what's your deal with water anyways?" asked Steve later when they were both back in the Camaro.

"I don't have an issue with water," said Danny. "I have an issue with jumping headfirst into dangerous situations. Water has nothing to do with it."

"Danny since I've known you, you've never come with us to the beach--"

"--So I don't like to swim, much. And the sand gets everywhere, and I burn like--"

"--You keep an umbrella in your car--"

"--Which is a perfectly sensible thing to do in a place that likes to rain at the drop of the hat with no warning. What you people have against umbrellas--"

"--In fact I don't think I've seen you wet the entire time I've known you--"

"--Which isn't actually that unusual--"

"--And when that bomber lunged at you, you jumped like 10 feet back," said Steve.

"You're concerned I jumped back when a fanatical bomber lunged at me?" asked Danny.

"Like you said, Danno, she was 10 pounds soaking wet. And I had her in handcuffs." Steve tapped the steering wheel in irritation. "Look, if you can't swim or have some kind of water phobia or something, then I need to know. If this is going to be an issue--"

"Oh my God," said Danny. "Yes, I can swim, no, I don't have any phobias around water. And if I ever actually need to jump into some gross polluted harbour, I will. Now can we please just drop it?"

 

When Danny got home that night, exhausted and ready to collapse in a heap on his bed, he walked into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face. Then looked back in the mirror at the same face, now softened and long red hair to replace the short blond from a moment ago. Amazed, even after all these years, at how quickly and easily the transformation happened.

Still worth it for how nice it felt after a hot day like that, and it wasn't like anyone else was around. 

Then she went and turned on the shower, and thought, folding her clothes, that she really hopes that day with Steve never came.

\---

Danny was sitting beside the pool splashing her legs a bit wondering why the hell Lacy's mom had made them all pay to use a private pool for her birthday party when there were free beaches literally everywhere on this island. Or better yet, it'd be nice if just once they didn't hold a party near a body of water and Danny could actually come as Grace's father to one of these things for once, instead of trying to pass herself off as a keen aunt.

At least Grace seemed to be having fun, she thought, watching her rushing up with friends for another run down the giant water slides.

"You're with Grace, right?"

Danny turned her head to see Mikey's Dad standing leering down at her. And oh God, maybe Danny had never met him before in this body, but boy-Danny had definitely spent a really long evening at parent-teacher interview listening to him whisper to him about how nice Grace's teachers ass was when she bent over helping the kids set up.

Danny really didn't like Mikey's dad.

"Yeah, she's mine," said Danny. 

"I'm Chuck," said Mikey's dad crouching down and holding his hand out.

Danny ignored it and focused back on the kids playing, "I'm busy," she said.

"You're sitting on the side of a pool."

"I'm supervising," said Danny curtly.

"Aw, they're big kids. Besides there's a lifeguard," said Mikey's dad.

"I don't think you understand me," said Danny deciding to just go with the direct approach. "I'm saying that watching these kids run up and use the same slide over and over and over again is mind numbingly boring. But I don't mind it because if the alternative is talking to you, I'd rather chew my own arm off. So why don't you take the hint and just go already?"

Mikey's dad stood back up looking a bit startled. "Wow, I didn't know you were such a bitch," he said. 

"What, you kiss your mother with that mouth? Get out of my sight," said Danny starting to get annoyed. "Go on, shoo!" She waved her hand for emphasis.

"Hey, you better do what the lady asks," said a long shadow behind Danny, and oh shit, Danny knew that voice.

And if there was any doubt, the flash of fear when Mikey's dad saw him pretty much confirmed it.

"Oh God, it's you," said Danny turning her head and sure enough there was Steve grinning down at her like a puppy looking for a pat for doing a good trick now that Mikey’s dad had left.

"You know, I was handling that," she added, not wanting him to think he'd actually done good.

"Good to know it's not just me," said Steve. "You don't like men?"

"I don't like men who hit on me," Danny clarified. "So don't get any ideas. What the hell are you doing here anyways?"

"Meeting a friend at the bar and saw you having trouble--" said Steve.

"Which I was handling," Danny interjected.

"--Which you were handling," Steve agreed, "and thought I'd come say hi."

"Because that went so well for you last time," pointed out Danny.

"Thought I'd try again," said Steve, undeterred, crouching down so he was eye level with Danny.

"Alright, well you said hi--"

"Uncle Steve!" 

_Shit_ , thought Danny turning around and seeing Grace splashing towards Steve by the pool.

And if Steve's face didn't completely light up at the sight of her let her climb out and hug him even though she was soaking wet.

"Gracie, hey, is Danno around?"

Grace looked over confused at Danny, "She's with me," said Danny. At least it was true.

And Danny watched Steve work something out, and worried.

"That's why you're so familiar," said Steve, "it's been bugging me since I met you on the beach. Are you one of his sisters? Hannah, right? You're not old enough to be Stella."

Grace looked uneasily at Danny, but Steve didn't seem to notice. "I'm Steve, I'm Danny's partner," he introduced himself holding out his hand. "I'm sure he's mentioned me."

"Oh God," said Danny ignoring Steve's hand to cover her face instead.

"Uh, look, I need to go, but hopefully I'll see you around," said Steve to Danny. To Grace he said, "Tell Danno I said hi, will you?" 

"You know, Danno," said Grace seriously after Steve had left, "Mom says you shouldn't hide your curse."

"How is this my life?" Danny groaned.

 

"Hey Danny, why didn't you tell us your sister was in town?" greeted Kono when Danny walked into HQ Monday morning. 

"You should bring her out sometime, brah," said Chin. "Let us meet her."

Danny was confused for all of five seconds before it all clicked together. "Steve."

"Yeah," said Kono. "Said he met her at the Hilton when she was there with Grace. Said she's exactly like you."

Danny glanced over to where he could see Steve moving around in his office and decided that he needed to nip this thing in the bud now. 

"Steve, we need to talk," said Danny opening the door, except when he saw Steve's blank curious expression staring back at him, he realised he had absolutely no idea what to say.

Not without outing himself, which no. Just no.

"You know what, never mind," said Danny. "Forget I came in here."

"Wait," said Steve, "is this about Hannah?"

And no, it wasn't really about Hannah, because Hannah was five thousand miles away in New Jersey probably taking her afternoon coffee break at work.

"Because if there's any issues..." hedged Steve.

"No issues," said Danny. 

"Because I'd understand if you're feeling protective," said Steve.

"What is it with men and being so damned protective all the time?" Danny asked, suddenly annoyed all over again over the incident at the Hilton. "I--she can handle herself just fine."

"So there's no issues then," asked Steve just to clarify.

"No issues," Danny repeated. "Everything's fine."

There was an odd look in Steve's eyes and Danny got the feeling the two of them had just had two very different conversations when Chin poked his head in and said, "The coast guard just found a tanker full of heavy armaments off the coast of Maui. Let's go."

Danny didn't think he'd ever been more grateful for arms dealers.

\---

Danny's new plan was simple. He was just going to avoid going girl for a while. No pool parties, no beaches, careful about the sudden downpours, he'd be fine. He'd tell Steve his sister went home, and everyone would just move on.

And he was feeling pretty good about it right up until about two minutes into his shower when the hot water stopped working.

"I swear I'll have Danny call you just as soon as he's in, but in the meantime, could you please just send the sup down to fix this?" said Danny over the phone, drying off her hair while she waited for the kettle to boil. "Why does it matter who I am? I'm someone who wants to be able to have a hot shower, thank you."

She pulled the phone back from her ear, "Did she hang up on me?"

She was halfway through dialing her landlady back when there was a knock at the door. 

Steve looked back surprised when she answered. "Hey," he said.

"God Dammit, it's you. I thought you were the super," said Danny tightening the towel over her chest. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Uh," Steve rubbed the top of his head and paused, like he actually couldn't remember for a moment. "I was uh, looking for Danny. He's not answering his phone."

"And of course 20 minutes of not being able to reach him and you drive down like the stalker you are."

Steve kept his face innocently blank. "Is he here?"

"Just me," said Danny ready to close the door again and go back to her other major crisis of the day. "I'll get him to call you when he gets back." 

Behind her she heard the kettle click off. "He shouldn't be long."

Steve didn't move. "What's the problem?" he asked.

"What makes you think there's a problem?"

"Is there another reason you were expecting the superintendent?" asked Steve.

Danny glared at Steve, but Steve's brain was wired wrong and he only smiled back. "The hot water's not working," she said.

"And Danny left you here to deal with it?"

"I told you, he's out," Danny repeated

"Right," said Steve. "Uh, I can take a look," he offered. "I'm pretty handy."

"It's good, I've got this," said Danny moving to close the door.

But Steve moved into her way. "Oh come on, what's it hurt to look?" he asked. "I know how useless Danny's landlady is about these kinds of thing. I can probably have your hot water working again by this afternoon."

Danny briefly debated which sounded worse. A morning arguing with his landlady, or a morning having to be a girl around Steve.

"Fine," she said. "Just let me get dressed."

She left Steve standing in the middle of her apartment while she dug up some of her old girl clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to get dressed.

"Are you staying here?" asked Steve when she got back out. "There's not even enough room for Danny in here. Where are you sleeping?"

"Yeah yeah, make fun of the apartment," said Danny, “are you going to help with the hot water or are you going to stand there and criticize?”

“Lead the way,” said Steve.

 

"So you’re not just doing this because I'm a girl, are you?" asked Danny sitting against the wall in the boiler room.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Steve straight faced as he checked over the hot water tank.

"I bet you offer to fix Danny's hot water all the time," said Danny.

"Danny never asks," Steve pointed out.

"I never asked," said Danny. Steve suddenly became very interested in the hot water tank. 

"I found your problem," said Steve after a few more minutes. Danny hadn’t actually expected Steve to know what he was doing, but she did her best to hide her surprise. "Your pressure relief valve is leaking."

For a little while Danny just sat down against the boiler room wall, watching Steve work. She felt a bit guilty about this, like she was taking advantage. But it wasn't like Steve hadn't insisted. And really Danny felt like she deserved to get something out of this annoying crush of his. Besides it was for a good cause. Access to hot water was very important to Danny’s well-being.

Though when Steve pulled his shirt off and tossed it into the corner, Danny couldn't help the somewhat sarcastic, "Really?" 

"It's hot down here," said Steve defensively. "I don't know how cold it must be back in Jersey, but you guys always look so overdressed when you're here. You must be sweltering."

And alright, Danny was a bit warm. But there was no way she was taking off any clothes anywhere near Steve. Especially not after that towel incident.

"Where'd you learn to fix broken hot water tanks anyways?" she asked. Danny was somewhat impressed. She considered herself to be pretty competent around the house too, but this was the kind of thing she definitely would have preferred to have a plumber do.

"My dad," said Steve. "He was pretty handy. And whenever something needed fixing, we used to it together. Taught me everything I know."

Danny found herself sitting up a bit straighter. "You never talk about your dad," she said, then catching herself, "At least Danny's said--"

Steve quirked an eyebrow. "You been asking Danno about me?"

Danny just shrugged and tried to look innocent. And she hoped she wouldn't hear about this tomorrow at work. Still, Danny recognized this was pushing her advantaged, but she asked anyways, "Were you two close?"

Steve was quiet for a moment, and Danny wondered if she'd overstepped.

"Not as close as I would have liked," he admitted. "He kept it all pretty tight to the chest. You know how dads can be."

Danny didn't really. Her dad had always been pretty affectionate. He'd given her her first baseball glove at five, and made sure it'd been well used. At 13 he'd been there to advise her on finally getting up the courage to ask Penny O'Malley to the school sock hop. And the week after his and Rachel's honeymoon, after one of her sister’s had accidentally spilled her glass of water all over her front and after the long family conversation that followed, he'd been the one to look Danny in the eye and tell her that it took a pretty strong man to be OK with being a girl sometimes. Danny thought everyone should be lucky enough to have a dad like that.

"That sucks," she finally settled on.

Steve just shrugged. In a 'it is what it is’ kind of way. And then, to change the subject, he said, "Do you know how long Danny's gonna be? Someone glued the overflow pipe on. I'm gonna have to cut it off. I could use a hand."

"What? You don't think I can help?" asked Danny. "I'm just as capable as Danny." She stopped just short of pointing out that it was her tools Steve was using.

Steve lifted his arms in graceful surrender and made room for her where he was working. Danny just hoped if there was any water to be sprayed, it would at least be cold.

They moved in easy tandem, not unlike when they're on the job. And Steve took her through the steps easily and efficiently. 

"Almost done," said Steve. "Could you grab the pipe wrench? It's the--"

"I know what a pipe wrench is," said Danny impatiently going back to the tool kit. It was after all her pipe wrench. "You know, this is the 21st century," she said pulling out the wrench and holding it out in response to the impressed look on Steve's look. "It's not so odd that a girl might know her tools."

Steve grinned and shook his head. "My mistake," he said moving out of her way and letting her unscrew the old pressure relief valve. 

And Danny was ready to be smug about it when a bit of water dripped out and she leaped back to avoid it, running right into Steve's very large, very solid chest.

"Woah, careful," he said, grabbing her arms to keep her from falling.

The water hit her hand anyways, but it was cold and probably wouldn't have been enough to have changed her anyways if hadn't been. 

She stared down at the droplets, and ignored the fact Steve was holding onto her.

"You're as bad as Danny," teased Steve in Danny's ear. "What's with Williamses and water?"

Danny felt an odd sensation in the pit of her stomach and quickly shook herself out of Steve's grip, even though he let go of her easily. "Let's just finish, huh?" she said.

Steve did a quick check for leaks around the fixed relief valve and grinned at her. "That should do it," he said, going back and turning the breaker and the water back on. "Let's give it a try."

 

Danny stood as far away as she could, a little terrified at the hot water coming in strong, steaming up her small bathroom, while Steve put his hand under testing it. 

"Looks good," said Danny, relieved when Steve noticed her reluctance to come near but didn’t push it. Just turned the tap off without giving her anything more than a quick odd glance. The apartment felt too small and too hot with both her and Steve in it. Already encouraging Steve back towards the door, Danny felt like this had been a pretty bad idea.

"So you'll let Danno know I was here when he finally gets back?" asked Steve.

"Yeah, I'll tell him to call you," said Danny quickly.

Steve grinned, "And you'll let him know I fixed his hot water for him. So he can feel free to buy me a beer."

God dammit. 

"Look," said Steve, suddenly shifting gears, refusing to go quite yet. "You gonna be around much longer?"

No, Danny thought to herself. Definitely not. End this now. Out loud she said, “I’m not sure.” Fuck.

Steve smiled that crooked smile of his. "Well, hopefully, I'll see you around then," he said.

"Maybe," hedged Danny.

When Steve was gone she closed the door and leaned back against it and slid slowly down to the floor. This was a problem.

\---

When Danny went over to pick Grace up for their weekend, he found Stan first, still in his suit from work, eating something on a piece of bread from the kitchen.

"Grace is upstairs," he told Danny when he spotted him. 

"Yeah, sure," said Danny. "But I need to talk to Rachel, she around?"

Danny recognized the pained look on Stan's face immediately. "Out back," was all he said.

 

Danny sat down on the side of the pool and watched for a bit as the large tiger swam playfully back and forth in the oversized pool, sometimes taking a moment to jump on to one of the many clawed pool toys. 

"If Stan has such a hard time with this whole tiger thing, why did he bother installing such a large pool for you?" Danny asked the tiger

The tiger didn't answer, but flopped playfully back into the water.

Danny dodged the splash. "Hey! No need for that," he cried. "Look, seriously Rach, I need to talk to you. So if you could climb out and we can go find a bucket of warm water somewhere--"

The tiger huffed, but she did climb out and Danny resisted the urge to laugh at the image of the three hundred pound soaking wet tiger awkwardly pull herself out of the pool. 

And then she shook herself dry, soaking Danny in the process.

"OK, very mature," said Danny grabbing her pants before they fell down. Rachel just rolled over playfully on her back. Completely unrepentant. 

One of Rachel's maids showed up about then, with a small steaming bucket, staring at Danny like her very presence was offensive. Glare directed to where Danny’s white dress shirt had plastered itself against her boobs.

"Great," said Danny as the maid ran back inside, "like this is my fault."

The tiger just yawned, still and uncaring . Danny made a face. The tiger was looking the other way, but it still made her feel better.

The maid returned a moment later with a second bucket, and without warning soaked Danny with it. It scolded, but at least Danny was back in the right body, fixing his hair back the way it should be as best he could. 

He reached out to help pour the other bucket over Rachel, but the maid looked scandalized, and Rachel did a weird little irritable huff. Easy to understand, even coming from a tiger.

"You're kidding, right?" asked Danny looking at the tiger. "We were married for the better part of a decade." But the tiger was unmoving. "You never care about my modesty," Danny added, but he obediently turned around and waited. 

"Daniel, _you_ don't care about your modesty," Rachel pointed out. And when Danny was given permission to turn back around, she was looking elegant in a long silk housecoat given to her by the maid with a red Hawaiian flower print, drying off her unkempt hair with a small towel. "Now what is it that was so important you felt the need to interrupt my swim?" she asked signalling to the maid to go put on a pot of tea and taking a graceful seat on one of the nearby pool chairs.

"I need to talk to you because you're the only person on this godforsaken island who knows about--you know." Danny vaguely mimed his currently absent long wavy hair.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You know when we were married, I almost had you trained to talk about your curse in actual words instead of euphemisms and vague gestures."

"Yeah, yeah, well we can't all turn into a freakin’ tiger," countered Danny.

Rachel gave an irritated huff, not unlike the one she'd given as a tiger. "Honestly, Daniel. Did you actually come with something to discuss or do you just want to rehash old arguments all day?"

As if to emphasize Rachel's call for civility, the maid came back with tea. Faster than Danny expected, until he realised the water was probably already boiled. He hoped her staff was well paid, as he watched Rachel casually poor them both a cup, dropping two spoon fulls of sugar into Danny's tea and doing some complex mix of sugar and cream for her own, just like she used to when they were still married.

Danny begrudgingly accepted the tea. "So you're a girl," said Danny, deciding it was best to start simple for this one.

Rachel raised an eyebrow over her cup, "Last I checked," she agreed setting her cup down and giving Danny a more curious look. 

"OK, so as a girl, what do you do when you know someone is--you know," he waved his hand, "interested. And you'd rather they weren't. What do you do?"

"Well, I am married," said Rachel slowly. 

For the sake of the civility Danny very magnanimously bit back a reminder about how their own marriage ended. Instead he said, "Before you were ever married."

Rachel didn't answer right away, and when Danny looked back at her, she had an odd look on her face, not entirely unlike the one she used to wear when she'd just caught one of her clients committing tax fraud. "Who pray tell is giving you unwanted attention," she asked.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes," she said simply. The corner of her lip twitched upwards, "I'm just trying to figure out who you might be periodically crossing paths with as a woman." Her eyes lit up, "Tell me it's not Mikey's father."

"It's not--" Danny started, then stopped, because well yeah, maybe he was part of the problem too. But Danny wasn't above just punching him in the dick if he kept it up. 

"It is," said Rachel with her eyes wide. 

"No," said Danny quickly, "it's not. It's Steve, alright?"

If anything, Rachel's eyes went even wider. "Commander McGarrett? Your partner?" she asked. Then frowned, "I don't understand, can't you just avoid seeing him as a woman?"

"Yeah, no, I definitely tried that already and it failed pretty spectacularly," said Danny. "Look, I just need to know how to let him down easy but firmly. Because he is not taking my subtle hints at all."

For some reason that made Rachel grin wide, which she tried--and failed--to hide by taking another sip of her tea. "Well if you ever figure that one out, you should let the rest of us know."

"Seriously, that's it, that's all you've got for me?" asked Danny. 

"If you want my honest opinion, Daniel, I think you should just explain the situation to Commander McGarrett. I'm sure he'll understand."

"OK, no, that is definitely the worst idea," Danny told Rachel. "That is worse than the worst idea, that idea should win an award for just how terrible it is."

"What is so terrible about it?" asked Rachel now looking somewhat offended.

"Seriously? You don't get why I maybe don't want to tell my partner who I have to work with and look in the eye every day about this curse?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you act like being a woman is a fate worse than death half the time. You know, most of us manage just fine."

"Ah jeez, Rach, you know that's not what I mean," protested Danny. "You know I...don't hate the whole girl thing. Not after all this time. But my team isn't gonna see it that way."

"And not all because you're embarrassed," pointed out Rachel, finishing off her cup of tea.

Danny didn't answer and Rachel shook her head, exasperated. "I'm serious, Daniel. You need to tell him before this entire thing gets out of hand."

"You know, I still think you got off lucky as a tiger," said Danny as they were walking back into the house. 

Danny didn't see the brief smirk, right before Rachel rolled her eyes and pushed Danny back into the pool. 

"Yeah, real mature Rach!" Yelled Danny splashing trying to climb out while Rachel giggled and slipped back into the house.

\---

Despite how extremely careful Danny was with his secret, in the end all it took to out him to most of his team was that stupid koi fountain in the middle of the Ala Moana shopping centre and a couple of asshole kids skateboarding through the open air aisles.

Usually Danny avoided Waikiki like the plague. Not that Danny was going native, like Steve liked to imply whenever Danny mentioned it. With that annoying soppy look in his eyes that he got when he thought Danny was looking like he was actually adapting to this god forsaken island.

But Kono had needed some specialized something or other for her board, and apparently the shop in the Ala Moana was the only one that would do. And Danny had agreed to come along because Kono usually took an age and a half at surf shops talking to the clerks and Chin wanted someone to wait with. 

Which led to Chin and Danny standing outside beside the stupid fountain filled with Koi. Which led to Danny standing way too close to the stone edge when a couple asshole kids--mentioned above--skated right between him and Chin, even though Danny was pretty certain skateboards were definitely not allowed in this area. Which led to Danny losing his balance and falling backwards. 

Which was how Danny found herself sitting waist deep in a fountain with koi nibbling on her jeans while Chin stared mouth hanging dumbly open, eyes plastered not on her face, but just a little bit down where her t-shirt was clinging completely unnecessarily against her chest. 

"Hey, hey, eyes up here," snapped Danny. 

Chin to his credit looked suddenly mortified as his brain caught up to him and Danny thought she could even see a bit of red creeping up the back of his neck. But his eyes shot upwards and he seemed just as startled by Danny's changed face and then the long red hair dripping over her shoulder.

"Danny?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," Danny admitted. Shifting a bit embarrassed. If there was any way she thought she thought she could away with lying she would have been doing it, but she was pretty sure Chin had seen her change.

"What?...How?" Chin started to ask, but Danny just shook her head. 

"Look, it's a really long story, and I'll tell you all of it, but right now could you please help me out of this fountain?"

"You even sound like a girl," Chin commented, but he was leaning forward with his hand out, so Danny swallowed whatever sarcastic reply was on the tip of her tongue and took it. Just to look up as she was stepping out to see Kono walking back over with a small plastic bag and staring confused between her and Chin.

Dashing any hopes Danny had of stopping this whole thing at Chin.

"Hey, Cuz," said Kono slowly, staring at Danny as she walked over. "Who's this?"

Chin, apparently over the initial shock already turned to Kono with the biggest shit-eating grin and said, "What? You don't recognize Danny?"

 

"I still don't get why you couldn't let me change back," muttered Danny. Dry now and sitting at an overpriced diner in Waikiki Chin and Kono had insisted on.

But the cousins both had a rather unnerving glare fixed on her and Danny was starting to understand how these two managed to get such quick confessions out of their perps. Danny's girl body was suddenly feeling a lot like those itchy Christmas sweaters her ma used to make her wear during the holidays. And it was taking everything she had to keep from fidgeting.

"So just to be clear," said Chin. "This happens to you every time you get hit with water?"

"Cold water," Danny corrected. Because that detail was important. 

"Right," said Chin nodding slowly. And it was pretty obvious if Danny wasn't sitting there right in front of them, very much a girl, he wouldn't be believing any of this. "Because you need the hot water to turn back.”

Kono especially had a look on her that basically said 'this has to be some kind of joke, I just need to figure it out.'

"Look, it's a curse, alright?" said Danny. "It happened on mine and Rachel's honeymoon. We were in some rural part of China and got separated and suddenly there's all these springs. Like hundreds of them. We tried to cut across the field, I fell in one boy, when I came out I looked like this and just like that my manhood, gone forever." She made a 'poof' gesture with her hand.

"Seriously?" asked Kono shaking her head.

Danny caught the corner of Chin's mouth twitch up just a bit. The bastard was trying not to smile.

"Yeah, yeah," said Danny rolling her eyes. "I'm sure this is all very amusing."

"A bit," Chin admitted letting the grin fully form on his lips now.

"So your honeymoon?" asked Kono getting them back on track. "That'd be what? 10 years ago? And what? You thought you could just keep this from us?"

"It was my original plan, yes," said Danny, without a hint of remorse. 

Kono obviously disapproved, but Chin looked a bit more understanding. Maybe even a bit sympathetic. Which only made Danny kind of want to tell him to go to hell.

"Does Steve know?" asked Kono. And before Danny could even answer, Kono's eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh my God, you're Steve's new crush. He ran into you as a girl somehow, didn't he?"

Danny blinked. "Oh my God, how do you even know about that?" she asked.

"Wait, what?" asked Chin.

"Look, it's nothing," said Danny quickly.

"Steve's got a crush on you?" asked Chin.

"You have to tell him," said Kono.

"No, no, we are not telling Steve anything," said Danny. "You two knowing is bad enough, but I spend my entire day with him and he cannot know about this."

Kono put her arms up in surrender, "Hey, I know enough to know when not to meddle." But with a look that said she still clearly disapproved. 

Chin's expression exactly mirrored his cousin.

"It’ll blow over," said Danny. "I don't think he's that interested."

\---

Rachel raised a curious eyebrow when she walked in with Stan and saw Danny walk into the school auditorium with Steve at his side. Danny glared back at her as a warning to mind her own business. Rachel just shook her head disapprovingly. Which Danny didn't think was fair, after all, Rachel had been married to Stan for six months before she'd told him about the whole tiger thing.

"So, uh...is Hannah coming?" asked Steve looking around the auditorium as they made their way down the aisle looking for a good seat.

Danny turned back to Steve. "Steven, please tell me that you agreed to come tonight, because like me you are very excited about my little girl's stage debut as tree number two, and not because you were hoping to run into a girl."

"No," said Steve quickly and completely unconvincingly. "This is all about Gracie, of course it is."

"Right," Danny agreed, glad to get Steve back on topic.

"But just curious," said Steve with forced casualness, hands in his pocket, "Where is Hannah?"

"You're unbelievable," muttered Danny. 

Steve and Danny made their way to their seats and everything seemed to be going pretty well after that. Grace was, as Danny already knew, the best tree he'd ever seen, and overall the play was cute. In fact, Danny was just starting to think this might be a nice evening when they all stepped out for a brief intermission before the older grades performed. Looking back, Danny realised he should have known better than to ever trust that voice.

Rachel was already there, hanging on Stan's arm and smiling blandly when she saw him walking over with Steve. Stan gave Danny an odd look and turned his head awkwardly, which confused Danny until he remembered the last time he'd seen him had been soaking wet in his backyard right after Rachel had pushed him into the pool. Definitely not his fault.

"Commander," greeted Rachel when they got close. "Daniel. How are you enjoying the play?"

Without waiting for an answer she hooked Danny's arm, "Excuse us just a moment," and left Stan and Steve to make awkward small talk while she dragged Danny a few feet over and hissed in his ear, "What are you doing?"

"Seeing a play," Danny hissed back. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Rachel gave Danny an impatient look. "You haven't told him," she specified, still at a whisper.

"I don't need to tell him," said Danny. "It's fine."

Rachel looked skeptical.

"Look, it'll blow over," Danny insisted. "It's not that big a thing."

Rachel looked like she was about to disagree when Danny interrupted her, stifling a groan and looking over her shoulder.

"Hey, Chuck," said Danny flatly.

"Hey look, I've got a bone to pick with you guys," he said to Danny looking around like he was looking for someone. "Where's your sister?"

Rachel gave Danny a significant look before turning to Mikey's dad. "Daniel's sister couldn't make it tonight," she told him pleasantly.

Mikey's dad frowned, disappointed. "You know," he said addressing Danny, "you're sister was pretty rude to me the other day."

"Oh?" asked Rachel. Danny ignored how amused she looked.

"Yeah, I was just making some polite conversation, and she just starts bitching me out, totally out of nowhere," Mikey's dad playing every part the victim in circumstances beyond his control.

Beside Danny, Rachel was fighting hard not to smile and nodding along encouragingly, and Danny was wondering if there was a hole he could go die in.

"You know I'd worry about what kind of influence a girl like that would be on Grace," he continued completely tone deaf. "You know I think she might be a man-hater." His voice went suddenly quiet. "You know a les--"

That was when it happened, suddenly Steve was right there, pushing right past Danny and punching Mikey's dad hard enough to knock him on his ass. 

"The hell are you doing here?" asked Mikey's dad holding the side of his face looking up surprised at Steve and to Danny's small glee, just a little bit terrified.

Steve didn't even answer him, instead he turned to Danny, still looking pissed, "What? Were you just gonna stand there all night while he kept insulting your sister?"

And as the school's principal came by to escort them all out, Rachel whispered pointedly in Danny's ear, "I'm sure it'll blow over."

Danny frowned. Still, watching Steve being led out by Grace's 5 foot chubby no nonsense principal, fists clenched and still looking every inch the dangerous six foot SEAL, Danny couldn't help but feel slightly touched.

 

"I'm sorry I got us kicked out," said Steve. He was sitting on the school steps, back against the brick wall, and to his credit, he did look properly sheepish over his earlier behaviour. 

Danny shrugged, "It's fine, Rachel promised to tape the big finale." And yeah, Danny wasn't happy, but there would be other school plays.

"Just," Danny watched Steve's fists start to clench all over again, "You know he called her a bitch. She didn't say anything to him he didn't deserve."

Danny couldn't help the fond smile forming at the corner of his lips. "Don't worry," he told Steve. "I know what kind of guy Chuck is."

Steve relaxed, "Yeah?" he asked looking at Danny.

"Yeah, the kind of the guy who is not worth letting yourself be provoked by," said Danny pointedly. "Chuck's irritating, I'm not arguing that, but he's mostly harmless."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Steve back to staring off into the horizon.

"Still, can't wait to see how bad that shiner you gave him is going to be tomorrow," Danny added, grin back on his face.

Steve grinned too, and even in profile and the fading light, Danny could see he looked smug. And Danny actively ignored the uncomfortable way it made something deep in the pit of his stomach squirm when he noticed it.

\---

Kono caught Danny in his office. Who after a long day of chasing down gun runners had spent a longer evening writing out reports on said gun runner, and the crazy escapades of his partner that he only managed to tone down a little bit. And now it was dusk outside and Danny still hadn't eaten dinner, and instead of planning for that, he was ready to just go home, collapse on his crappy pull out and sleep about 14 hours.

He probably would have told Kono, whatever it was, to save it for tomorrow but she had a plastered innocent look on her face like she was planning something and somehow Danny thought it wasn't going to be that easy.

"So I've been thinking about this whole girl thing," Kono started. 

"Hey, not so loud with the girl thing!" hissed Danny already at the door to see if there was anybody nearby who might have overheard.

"Steve's gone home," said Kono rolling her eyes that very clearly broadcasted her disapproval. (which Danny pointedly ignored.) "Just me and you left, bra."

Sure enough, Danny looked out of his office and everything was still and silent. Half the overhead lights were out.

And then Kono did something that killed any possibility of Danny being able to turn her away. She pulled a bag of takeout she’d been holding behind her back.

"Dinner?" 

Danny sniffed the air, "Is that chinese? Steve never lets us eat Chinese."

Kono grinned and dumped the paper bag on top of Danny's desk.

 

"All I'm saying," Kono explained between shoving wontons in her mouth, "surfing all the time as a kid, I never really made a lot of girlfriends. And the police academy wasn't much better, and then it was 5-0 and these days I barely have time for the friends I already have."

"It's not that I'm unsympathetic," said Danny carefully, fishing the onions out of his stir fry, "but you do know I'm not actually a girl, right?"

Kono waved her hand dismissively. "You know what I mean." Danny wasn't sure he did. "There's this spa, and it's women only," Kono explained. "And I've been wanting to check it out for ages, but I need someone to go with me. And since barring a new case we're off till Monday..." She looked up at Danny with large hopeful eyes.

"I got Grace this weekend."

"So bring her along," said Kono, unphased. "It'll be a girl's day out, maybe we can do some shopping, too?"

"OK, once again, I do feel like I need to remind you, I am not actually a girl," said Danny.

"Do you two have better plans for Saturday?" Kono challenged.

Danny did not, but he didn't want to admit it either, so he just glowered.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," said Kono. "I'll pick you guys up 10am, we'll get lunch after. It'll be great."

 

Okay, so Danny could admit, the spa wasn't too bad. What could she say, she liked being pampered. She liked being fussed over and groomed and have the ladies who worked at the spa gush over her hair. And she liked doing it all with Grace. Danny considered all the mother/daughter outings Grace and Rachel had gone on over the years and for the first time considered that she might have been missing out.

"Why have I never done this before?" Danny asked no one in particular. 

They were in a bamboo room laying back, hair done up with mud masks and cucumber face masks and bathrobes. And in the corner of the room there was an iPod and a speaker that played ocean sounds, which Danny thought was a bit ridiculous when the actual ocean was only metres away, but right now she was too relaxed to care.

"Because masculinity is a cage," Kono answered. 

"That's what Mom says too," Grace told Kono in half a whisper, like it was a confidence.

Danny groaned, "Are you two ganging up on me? Is that what's happening here?"

"Nah, bra," said Kono. "Just admit you want to do this again."

Danny smiled despite herself. "Yeah, fine, whatever," she said. "I wouldn't mind doing this again."

 

After the spa it was lunch at the Ala Moana food courts, and the next thing Danny knew she was being dragged across the mall while Kono and Grace peered into different store windows.

Danny hadn't been particularly keen on the whole shopping part, despite Kono's insistence that it's not a proper girl's outing without shopping.

But then Grace had looked at Danny with those large begging brown eyes, and she looked so pretty, nails and hair done at the spa, and the ladies who had braided her hair had put bobby pins with flowers on the end to keep it in place. And it all clashed with the tank and slacks she'd chosen to put on that morning. And watching her chasing after Kono in her new yellow sundress, with an empire waist that made her look like a princess, Danny couldn't bring herself to regret saying yes.

Still...

"Danny, this dress would look amazing on you," Kono insisted. 

It was a casual above-knee red dress, with a complicated cut and large white flowers patterned on the skirt. 

"You do remember the part where I told you I'm not really a girl, right?" asked Danny. 

"Come on Danny, your clothes are like 10 years out of date."

"How can my clothes be ten years out of date?" demanded Danny. "I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt. That's in fashion every decade."

"You look like a soccer mom," said Kono.

"What's wrong with soccer moms?"

In the end the debate was settled when Grace wandered over and her eyes went wide at the dress in front of them. "Danno, that dress is so pretty."

"Just try it on?" asked Kono, looking at Danny hopefully. 

Danny was starting to think agreeing to bring Grace along had given Kono an unfair advantage.

 

"Seriously what is it about girls and wanting to dress me up all the time?" asked Danny through the changing room stall. She'd probably be out by now, if she could just figure out how to get the damn thing on. Why were women's clothes always so complicated?

It was Grace's voice she heard pipe up from the other side of the door, "Mom said you always stretched out her clothes."

Kono laughed. 

"Mom says things like that because she doesn't like to share," Danny called back. 

 

Danny stepped out the changing room thoroughly disgruntled. "Alright, I tried it on, you guys happy?"

Kono beamed when she saw her, and Grace looked at Danny with the biggest star eyes she'd seen on her since they took her to see that Disney on ice show a couple years ago.

"Danny, you have to get this dress," said Kono seriously.

"When would I wear it?" asked Danny in one last ditch attempt to get out of it, but she'd already seen the look on Grace's face, and knew she was pretty much doomed.

"Our day's not done yet," said Kono.

 

"Yeah, maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Danny said to Kono when the shaved ice stand came into view, Grace, already there yelling her order out to Kamekona, having run ahead of them. "We don't need more people seeing me like this."

Kono's grip tightened on Danny's arm. "Come on, don't be a baby," she said pulling her harder when Danny hesitated. 

"Kamekona!" Kono greeted cheerily, "Have you met Hannah? She's Danny's sister?" 

Danny shook Kamekona's hand and thought she was in real trouble if Hannah actually did decide to come visit one of these days.

Kamekona grinned wide at the sight of Danny, taking his time getting an eyeful. "Hey, how'd you like to advertise for us? Pretty face like yours would sell a lot of shaved ice." he asked with a flirty smile.

Danny turned and looked at Kono. "Wow, I would really like for that to never happen again," he told her.

Kono, the traitor, just laughed.

On Danny's other side, Grace pulled on Danny's skirt and politely asked if she can have strawberry _and_ pineapple.

 

They were halfway through their shaved ice, and Danny was just starting to think at least the rest of the afternoon should go smoothly when she heard familiar voices and felt her stomach flip.

"Oh god, hide me," Danny hissed at Kono as Chin and Steve walked around the bend. 

Kono did nothing useful, and Grace lept up from the other side of Danny, screaming "Uncle Steve! Uncle Chin!"

Danny turned to look. Wherever they'd been, it involved the water, Steve was wearing board shorts, a t-shirt that was a size too small, and had wet tousled hair. He was grinning as he picked up Grace and generally looked more relaxed than Danny was used to seeing him.

A grin that got even wider when he spotted Danny. 

"We went to a spa today," Grace told Steve. 

"Yeah?" he asked, eyes still on Danny. "Well you look really nice--er...all three of you, I mean," he clarified with an embarrassed cough. Finally tearing his eyes away from Danny to look at Kono and Grace too. 

Danny wondered when it had gotten so hot out.

"We've been spearfishing," Chin told them, walking up to Kamekona's window. "We're starving."

"Why don't you just eat your catch?" asked Kono.

"Oh we're planning on it," said Steve with a grin, casually taking Grace's vacated seat, and setting her down so she could sit at the head of the bench. "We were just about to text everyone, barbeque tonight, my place. Lots of fresh fish."

"You should see the giant trevally Steve caught," said Chin miming its size. "It's got to be at least 30 inches, we can probably feed everyone on him alone."

"We got some gray snappers and a goatfish too. Should be pretty good eating," added Steve. And Danny certainly did not notice the hopeful way he looked at her when he said that.

"We got a couple peacock groupers too, but you can't eat those, so after we're done here, we're gonna stop off at my cousin's farm, she uses them as fertilizer," said Chin.

"Why would you catch a fish you can't even eat?" asked Danny. "I mean, growing up my dad used to go fishing with his firemen buddies, but it was always catch and release, you know?"

"Everything we catch spearfishing are invasive species," Steve explained. "Groupers are the worst, they live off reef fish, including a lot of fish native only to Hawaii. There's no limits on catching them."

Danny had said the same thing to Steve multiple times while male, and never once gotten an actual explanation, and right at this moment she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

"So you're nobly saving the environment impaling all these poor fish?" asked Danny.

Steve's grin only grew wider. "Yeah, that's about right."

"You're a hero," said Danny dryly.

"Yeah," Steve agreed. "So are you coming?"

Before Danny could answer, Chin called, "Hey Steve, your food's ready, come help me bring it over."

"Uh, we should probably get going," said Danny glancing over at Kono, and moving to get up just behind Steve. Except in her time sitting her, she'd forgotten she was wearing a dress, tripped on the unexpected material that got caught on part of the bench, and for one terrifying moment Danny thought she was about the hit dirt when a pair of strong arms caught her and suddenly Danny was looking up into Steve's concerned eyes.

The next thing Danny thought was that she wanted Steve to lean down and kiss her, and the thought was so startling and overwhelming she froze. And she didn't know if she felt more relieved or disappointed when he let go of her and took a step back.

"You alright?" he asked looking her over. "Your dress looks OK."

"I uh..don't wear a lot of skirts," said Danny lamely.

Steve gave Danny a slow smile. "That's too bad."

Now that Danny could identify that sudden flushed feeling, she didn't like it at all.

"Anyways," she said quickly tearing her eyes from Steve and seeking out Grace. Who was still sitting at the edge of the picnic table, watching the exchange between Steve and Danny with fascination. And that's right, they had an audience. "We do need to get going." She held her hand out for Grace, and nodded at Kono.

"Hey, you never answered my question," Steve called after her, making her turn back around. "You coming tonight?"

He just looked so goddamned hopeful.

"Another time, maybe," she answered.

"I'll hold you to that," said Steve seriously. 

 

Kono managed to hold her tongue until they'd made back into the camaro. 

"Oh my God, Danny," she said. "Steve likes you."

"Yeah, I know, we kind of established that back a little while ago," said Danny impatiently. Still trying to make sense of the last 15 minutes.

"No, Danny, I mean Steve really likes you. Like this is a problem," said Kono. "You need to tell him."

"Oh God, not you too," said Danny, pulling out of parking lot. "You sound like my ex-wife."

"Good," said Kono, "I'm glad someone's talking sense to you."

Danny groaned, this was all too much to process all at once, "Look, just--I'll handle it, alright? Let me deal with it."

"Alright," said Kono, putting her hands up in an attempt to de-escalate. "Look, just, you know, be careful, okay?"

"Okay," Danny promised. "I will."

 

It wasn't until after Danny had dropped off Kono, after they'd reached Danny's apartment, and she was helping a sleepy Grace out of the car, that she piped up, "You know, if you decide to marry uncle Steve, I don't mind."

"Is that what you got out of all that stuff today?" asked Danny, amused despite everything. "I'm glad I have your approval, monkey, but me and Steve aren't getting married anytime soon."

Grace nodded, and dozed on Danny's bare shoulder as she carried her in. And OK, so Danny still wasn't a fan of dresses, but the skin on skin contact was nice, and not something she'd ever have gotten wearing one of her work shirts. And if she happened to keep the dress on through Grace's nap, she didn't have to tell anyone.

\---

If Danny thought this newfound crush on Steve was just a girl body thing, he was very quickly proven wrong.

It took two minutes after walking into work Monday to find Steve in a full-blown suit looking like he just walked out of a GQ shoot. And that beautiful irritating smile that told Danny that whatever was about to come out of his mouth he was going to hate.

"They found a body on an upscale cruise line this morning. Suit up, we're going undercover."

And Danny had always been well aware how much worse it was having an inconvenient crush in a male body than a female one but he could have done without the reminder.

 

"He keeps talking about me," Danny whined into the phone. Back in the safety of his apartment after what might have just been the longest week of his life. "And asking questions, and wanting to know things, and what am I supposed to tell him?"

"You mean female you," clarified Rachel on the other side of the line.

"Yes, girl me," said Danny impatiently. "And you know what the worst part is? I'm jealous. I am literally jealous of myself. I actually caught myself calling myself a strumpet in my head, what is that?"

On the other side of the line, Danny distinctly heard Rachel sigh. 

"And then Chin and Kono keep looking at me with those judgy disapproving stares."

Rachel made a humming noise like she approved. "Chin and Kono, your other two colleagues? They know?"

"Yeah, I fell into a fountain, that's not the point--"

"Daniel, is Commander McGarrett the only member of your team who doesn't know about your curse?"

There was a short pause. "Max has no idea."

"I realise at this point I'm probably beginning to sound like a broken record..." Rachel began.

"Look, it's complicated, alright?"

"Honestly Daniel, do you have any plan of action? Any idea what you're doing whatsoever?"

Danny didn't answer.

"That's what I thought." She sounded exasperated, but the words still came out sounding kind.

Danny hated when Rachel managed to sound kind. Rachel was only nice when she felt sorry for him.

"So just so we're clear, you are able to take Grace a week early?" asked Rachel.

"Right, that, yeah," said Danny, shifting awkwardly in this chair. "That's fine."

"And you can pick her from school on Friday as usual?"

"Yeah, Rach, I know the drill," Danny reminded her.

"Thank you, Stan and I do do appreciate this," she continued matter-of-factly. "Oh, and Daniel, do be careful? I'd rather not see anyone hurt."

"Yeah, I don't want to hurt Steve either," Danny reassured her.

"Commander McGarrett wasn't the only person I was thinking of," said Rachel just before hanging up.

\---

It was raining the way it only did in Hawaii, heavy and coming on with no warning, and no sign of ending. Danny was grateful she didn't have to go into work today, because there was no way she liked the idea of trying to keep herself dry in _that_.

It was Danny's first time surfing without Kono. But it was something she'd been meaning to do for a couple weeks now and it seemed like the perfect time. Danny wanted to work off some energy, and because of all the rain the beach was mostly empty. Tourists tended to stay away when it was raining. And except for a handful of particularly dedicated surfers, Danny pretty much had the beach to herself.

She stared out at the beach for a minute, board held beside her, standing straight up in the clumpy sand, debating if she should chicken out and call Kono anyways. But the waves weren't too bad, and the rain previously coming down hard had changed to a light drizzle. Danny figured she should be fine. She picked up her board and dove in.

 

The waves felt great. And Danny found she didn't even mind the rain, just slightly colder than the lukewarm water underneath her. And the small crowd was nice giving her a lot of space.

Which was good, because for some reason Danny just couldn't seem to stay on her board today.

Danny held her breath, she'd fallen in deep water this time, deep enough she couldn't find the rocky bottom when she kicked back up to the surface. When she broke through, she spun around looking for her board and instead found Steve, about halfway back to shore, sitting on a surfboard and holding Danny's, grinning like an idiot.

"You know, you should really use the leash, you'll lose your board," called Steve holding up the black rope. 

"What are you doing here?" Danny yelled back.

"Watching you fall on your ass," Steve called back.

Danny frowned and swam towards Steve, but instead of waiting and giving her back her board, Steve slipped off his and started swimming away. 

"Dammit, McGarrett," yelled Danny swimming after him which only seemed to encourage him. "Seriously," she said finally catching up, somewhere closer to shore, and grabbing her board. "You're like a 10 year old, you know that? What are you gonna do next? Grab my pigtails and dip them in an inkwell?"

Steve cocked his head, like he was considering the idea. "You're not wearing pigtails. Hair's the right colour though."

"Seriously, why are you here?" asked Danny, still suspicious.

"I just came to surf, I swear," said Steve, hands up defensively despite the annoying grin that still refused to leave his face. 

Danny hated herself just a little bit for feeling how infectious it was.

"Not that you weren't a nice surprise," he added.

Danny rolled her eyes and turned to make her way back into the deeper water to catch another wave.

"You're stance is off!" Steve called after her. Raising his voice a bit to be heard over the rain.

Danny turned back. "Excuse me?"

"Why you keep falling," Steve clarified. He motioned towards the shore, "Come on, I'll show you. I don't bite," he added, with a grin when Danny hesitated.

"My stance is fine," called Danny, but she was following Steve to shore anyways. 

 

"Lay down on the board," Steve instructed. 

"I'm having flashbacks to my lessons with Kono," Danny grumbled, but did as she was told and tried to ignore the voice in the back of her head saying this was a bad idea. It sounded suspiciously like Rachel.

"Up!" Steve instructed and Danny jumped up on her surfboard, exactly like Kono had made her do a hundred times before she'd actually let her out onto the water. Or at least Danny thought.

"See, there's your problem," said Steve stepping forward. He moved in behind her, just a bit closer than he needed to, hands firmly on her hips. "You want your foot on the chest line, across the deck, like this."

He leaned down and positioned her front leg, slower than he probably had to, Danny thought. She refused to think about the fact she didn't really mind. "Hips forward," he said, right beside her ear, adjusting her again with a solid grip so her weight was on her front leg. "And arms out."

Somehow when Danny had done this with Kono, despite her being just as hands on, it hadn't felt nearly this intimate. 

"Perfect," said Steve, his warm breath hissed in her ear, hands still resting solidly on her hips. And then, to Danny's surprise, he stepped back, leaving her feeling cold in the drizzling rain. 

"Now do it again," said Steve, arms crossed, suddenly back in full coach mode. The fact he was grinning like an ass told Danny he knew exactly what he was doing. 

Danny did it again, laying on her board and jumping up until she got her stance exactly perfect again.

And when Steve took a proud step forward, Danny took a step back. Because two could play at that game. "I'm gonna catch wave," said Danny, not quite being able to hold back a grin, grabbing her board and running off into the water. Steve followed close behind.

 

Danny hated to admit it, but Steve had been right. She was doing a lot better after the impromptu lesson. 

In fact Danny had made it three waves in a row now without falling, and was just coming down successfully from the third one when something tipped her board.

Danny yelped and fell backwards into the chest deep water. When she came back up, Steve was there, on the other side of her board, grinning like an idiot.

"You did that on purpose," Danny accused.

"No," said Steve quickly.

"Liar, you did it because you never matured out of middle school, and you were annoyed I'd gone ten minutes without paying attention to you."

"Nah," said Steve, "you're reading into things."

"You're unbelievable," said Danny, and she moved forward to get her board back but Steve pulled it back.

"Goddammit, McGarrett, not this again," said Danny, rushing over.

"What did I say about wearing the leash?"

"Oh my God," said Danny lunging forward for her board, except she misjudged and went too far, and both her and the board ended up flipping over back into the water with another yelp.

When she resurfaced Steve was laughing at her. 

"You ass," said Danny. Annoyed she splashed him. Steve immediately retaliated, getting her back, and then diving down and knocking her down again by pulling her leg out from under her. And Danny was back under the water again.

When she surfaced again, she went after him tackling him better than he expected and they both went under that time. A moment later she felt Steve's hands come around her waist and pull her back up to the surface with him. They surfaced together, and Danny at some point had wrapped her arms around his shoulders for balance. 

Steve wasn't smiling anymore as he stood up, he was staring down at Danny, eyes looking suddenly serious. They were too close, Danny knew they were, but she couldn't quite bring herself to let go of him.

Then Steve said, "I want to kiss you." One of his hands moved from Danny's waist to cradle her face, thumb brushing the side of her cheek. And then he leaned down and did kiss her. For one amazing moment Danny melted into it, enjoying the sensation of Steve's warm chest pressed up against her, his mouth hot compared to the lukewarm water around them, and she could taste salt water on his lips.

And then just as suddenly her brain caught up to her and she let go of Steve and leaped back. Steve let go immediately, his expression was a mix of confusion of concern and Danny felt her heart twist at the sight of it. 

"I'm sorry--I can't--I have to go," she said still backing away when he took a step forward. Not trusting herself to let herself near him again.

The look on Steve's face turned to hurt. "Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes--No--" Danny stopped and tried to make sense, "Look it's my fault, just...I'm sorry."

And then she ran, before Steve had a chance to answer. Her chest was tight, and it wasn't until she was back in her apartment, and drawing a shower that she felt she could breathe again. Convinced she'll feel better just as soon she could get back into her other body. She wanted to kick herself for letting it get this far.

 

Steve showed up at Danny's door later that evening. It was still raining, clouds so thick that even though the sun hadn't quite decided to set yet, it was still dark enough outside to feel like night.

For a moment, Danny just stared, he hadn't expected to see Steve again so soon. Steve was soaked through from the rain, and he looked just a little wrecked, which Danny didn't want to think too much about. "You know, you'll catch your cold standing out there like that," he said, even though he was no longer directly in the rain.

"Is Hannah around?"

"Just me," said Danny. "What's going on?"

Danny tried to ignore the way his heart was pounding. It wasn't like Steve was even really looking at him.

"Uh...Hannah left her surfboard on the beach, I brought it back."

Shit.

"Thanks, you can just leave it in the driveway, I'll grab it later." 

Steve didn’t move. "Was Hannah back? Did she say anything to you?"

"Uh...No," said Danny.

Steve paused, like he wasn't sure quite what to say. "Is everything alright with her?" he asked Steve. "Just, everything seemed fine when I ran into her at the beach, and things kind of...escalated I guess, and the next thing I know she's running away like her life depends on it. I thought maybe she'd come back here."

Danny sighed and wondered if he possibly could have made a bigger mess of everything. "Hannah's fine," he told Steve. "Though if you want my advice, if she's pushing you away, let her go. Things are...complicated with Hannah, but she has her reasons, alright?"

Steve looked a little bit like Danny had just slapped him, and Danny felt terrible all over again. 

“Yeah, okay,” said Steve. “When you see her, tell her--tell her to take care of herself, alright?"

The look on Steve's face was almost enough for Danny to want to take it back. The only thing that was worse than that look of hurt was knowing he put it there. But Steve was barely looking at him. He was off thinking about a girl who didn’t really exist. Not the way Steve thought of her.

"I'll make sure she knows," said Danny. And then he let Steve leave.

He watched through his window through the rain as Steve pulled the surfboard out of his truck and left it leaning against the wall of Danny's apartment. And Danny knew he'd done the right thing, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt.

\---

Steve was locked in his office when Danny got into work Monday morning.

"He's been in there since he came in," Kono told him, cradling her morning mug of coffee. "He seemed pretty morose."

"Yeah, well that's probably my fault," said Danny. "I kind of dumped him this weekend."

"I was wondering how long you were going to let that go on," said Kono, sounding relieved.

"Yeah well, you don't have to worry about it now," said Danny, trying to keep his tone neutral. "Everything can go back to normal, now."

"Thank God," said Kono taking a sip of her coffee.

Steve finally emerged from his office about mid morning, phone in the air. "We've got a case, let's go."

 

Steve was mostly quiet the next week. But it took Danny a while to figure out the big difference he was noticing was that Steve had stopped bringing up Hannah. In fact, Danny realised mid-week, Steve hadn't mentioned her once. Not in passing, no questions about her, nothing. And while Danny knew, ultimately it was a good thing, it still made him feel like crap.

And slowly but surely, things did fall back to normal.

\---

"5-0! Freeze!" Steve yelled.

Danny was right behind him, scanning the crowded mall frantically for their perp, who of course ignored Steve's orders and kept running.

"There!" yelled Danny, pointing at the escalators, the perp hopping between people trying to get to the next floor as quickly as possible. Steve just split the crowd with his badge and a few loud commands, but just when they were starting to make ground, the kid reached out on his way past the wall and pulled the fire alarm, and the mall erupted into chaos.

There was about two seconds between the alarm sounding and the sprinklers coming on where Danny had just enough time to think _oh shit_. And then his entire life crashed down around him.

Danny ran, hoping against hope Steve hadn't been watching her, but of course he was.

"Danny, what the hell!?" she heard from somewhere behind her. Already she could hear confusion in his voice. And now her shoes were too big and her clothes were too loose, and he caught up to her easily, grabbing her arm and turning her around. 

And she knew what she looked like long red hair wet and plastered to her face and shoulders and dress shirt pretty much see-through from the water with nothing on underneath. Her other hand was still busy holding up her pants. And Steve just stared back at her, gobsmacked.

"I don't understand."

And Danny ripped her arm away and went back to running. This time Steve didn't follow.

It was thirty minutes before Steve finally met Danny down where the Camaro was parked (because of course he had the fucking keys). She was dry by then, except her hair that always took forever to dry when she was in this form, dripping in a mess over her shoulder. She wished she had a ponytail to pull it all back.

"Our...uh, perp got away," said Steve awkwardly still a good ten feet away from Danny. 

Danny didn't say anything, Danny still couldn't even look at him.

Steve finally stepped forward. He took her chin firmly and pointed it at him, staring into her eyes like he was searching for something.

"Danny?" he said her name like it was a question, like he wasn't really sure.

Danny forced herself to look up. "Yeah, Steve, it's me."

\---

"Hey, did you guys--" Kono stopped talking mid sentence at the sight of Steve and Danny walking back into HQ perp-less. Or more the sight of Danny, walking in with Steve still full on girl. Or maybe it was the full-on aneurism face Steve was wearing.

"Danny!" she cried. "What happened?"

Steve froze, then turned back to Danny, "Wait? Kono knows about this?"

"Kono--" Danny started about the same moment Chin came out of his office to see what was going on.

"Danny?" he asked, just as surprised as Kono.

"Chin knows!?" He rounded on Danny. "Did everyone know except me?"

Danny didn't say anything. She wasn't sure who else there was.

"What is this, some kind of joke? Was everyone laughing at me while I was busy chasing after a girl who didn't even exist?" demanded Steve, motioning back to Chin and Kono. Then directly to Danny he said, "Did you call them? After I showed up your apartment with your surfboard? Talk about the idiot who actually tried to kiss you?"

Behind Steve, Danny saw both Chin and Kono's eyes widen just a fraction.

"Hey, that's not fair!" answered Danny just as heatedly. "You think this was a game?! That I put this body on for a lark? This curse isn’t a game for me, it’s a part of who I am. This is my life. What? Do you think I was trying to seduce you telling you to buzz off every time I accidentally ran into you in the wrong body? That I wanted you to chase after me?"

"Then why didn't you just explain it to me? Why did you let it go so far?" demanded Steve.

"I don't know!" yelled Danny. "There isn’t exactly an etiquette guide for these kind of situations. And you just kept being so damned nice all the time. I was flustered, alright?" She felt her face burn admitting it, and felt like maybe she would have managed a bit more dignity if they weren't screaming at each other in the bullpen while she was having to hold her pants up.

Danny saw something shift in Steve at her words though, and he didn't look angry anymore, but he was still frowning, lips pursed as he looked at Danny.

"You meant that kiss," he said.

"Yeah, I meant the kiss," said Danny. "You spent so much time chasing me, are you really that surprised you caught me?"

Apparently Steve was. He stared back at Danny for a long moment. Finally he asked, "Were you ever going to tell me?" 

Danny didn't answer, and she knew she looked guilty as she looked away.

Steve closed his eyes and sighed. "Yeah, that's what I thought," he said. "Danny, I--I just, I can't deal with you right now." And, then he left, storming out the way they'd just come in.

Danny just covered her face, leaned back against the wall and groaned.

"Oh Danny, I'm so sorry," said Kono, "I didn't know you liked him."

Chin was looking back at the door Steve had just disappeared out of. "Should we go after him?"

"It's fine," said Danny, waving both of them off. "I'm just gonna go have a hot shower if neither of you mind, thanks."

\---

"Alright, we got a case, body washed up on the beach," called Steve coming out of his office. "Chin, you're with me."

"Still in the dog house, I see," said Kono watching Steve leave with Chin while she casually pulled the keys to Danny's camaro out of his pocket.

And before Danny could complain about sexual harassment Kono slapped his ass and said, "Come on, let's go!"

 

For the next little while, Danny just tried to keep his head down and do his job and stay out of Steve's way. But even though Steve was definitely avoiding him, Danny didn't think he was still mad. Well maybe a little mad, definitely still kind of mad. But every once in awhile Danny would be talking to a witness, or going over a crime scene and he'd catch Steve across the room just staring at him.

 

"How are you holding up?" asked Chin one day during lunch. Joining Danny on the bench near Kamekona's shaved ice stand.

"I've had better weeks," Danny admitted. "But at least it's out, you know? Even if Steve is mad at me, it feels good not to be hiding it anymore. Just you know, don’t tell my ex-wife she was right.”

Chin grinned. "It won't last," he reassured Danny. "I've known Steve a long time, he's never been able to hold a grudge."

"You ever seen him mad at someone over something like this before?" asked Danny.

Chin smiled, amused. "No," he admitted. "But I still wouldn't worry."

"I feel like an idiot," said Danny, throwing his sandwich down, not really hungry anyways. "I should have told him, but I dunno, at first I was just embarrassed, and then--I mean, I knew I never really had a chance."

"You sure about that?" asked Chin.

"Steve seems pretty straight to me," Danny pointed out.

"He does," Chin agreed. "But you have to admit, he was pretty quick to fall for a female version of you."

Danny didn't quite know what to say to that. "Is that why you came down here? To try and convince me Steve's subconsciously holding a torch for me?"

"Nah, bra," said Chin. "I came to tell you you need to switch to female before coming back to work. Steve wants you and Kono undercover to infiltrate that men's club."

"Oh my god," groaned Danny, "I hate my life."

\---

Danny was in his office. His paperwork from the last case was done, and he didn't really have any reason to stick around except he didn't really feel like going home yet. He thought he was the only one still in the building until he heard a knock on his door.

He was even more surprised when it was Steve who stepped inside.

"Oh God, tell me we haven't caught another case," said Danny.

"No," said Steve quickly. "I, uh...I saw your light was still on." 

He walked over to Danny desk and leaned back against it, beside Danny's chair, just like it was any other day and he just wanted to hang out a bit before heading home.

"So the hair thing, how does that work?" asked Steve.

Danny looked up, confused, and Steve mimed the length.

Danny shrugged, "Hair salons charge like twice as much for girls, did you know that?"

That actually earned a small laugh from Steve, and Danny had a surprisingly strong urge to try and do it again. "You're telling me your hair's so long because you’re cheap?" 

"I thought it looked good grown out," said Danny, defensively. "And Grace likes braiding it."

"Well I guess I can't argue with that," said Steve. Steve was quiet a moment, and Danny noticed him lick his lips as he gathered his thoughts and Danny thought he was probably building up to something. "Is there a cure?" he asked

Danny shook his head. "There's supposed to be another spring. But we asked when it happened and it was dried up. Don't know what happened, we were having trouble with our translator, he actually told us someone drank it."

Danny shrugged, it was what it was.

"Okay but I still don't really get it," said Steve. "Don't you resent it at all? God, if it was me--" he let the thought the thought hang.

Danny shrugged. “It’s been ten years. I mean it’s a bit embarrassing, but it’s also kind of freeing. And it's helped me be closer to Grace, and honestly, that part is a gift."

Steve nodded, taking a moment to digest it all. But he looked less freaked out than he had lately, and he was actually talking to Danny again, so he considered both a win.

"I still wish you'd just told me," said Steve. 

"I should have," said Danny. "Probably on that first day where we ran into each other on the beach. I never thought it would go so far, though."

To Danny’s surprise, Steve started grinning. "So you do like the water, then."

"Shut up," said Danny shoving him away. But it felt good to be joking around with him again.

"God, Danny," said Steve, "do you have any idea what you've put me through these last few weeks? Because I am way too old to be having these kind of revelations."

"Yeah? What does that mean exactly?" asked Danny.

"I just keep thinking about you," he said. Then he reached a hand out and Danny froze as fingers made contact with the skin above his ear and moved back to intertwine themselves in his hair. And Danny recognized that same curious stare he'd been getting from Steve all week. Then suddenly Steve was bending down and kissing him. It wasn't the same as their first kiss. It was slower, less certain. But it was still deep and wet and Danny couldn't quite keep back a small moan as Steve grew more confident. And suddenly Steve was pulling back leaving Danny's lips feeling cold, and he had to fight a strong urge to follow them back up.

"Sorry, I just, I needed to know." Steve's voice was rough from the kiss, and it made Danny's stomach flip uncomfortably.

"And?"

"Can I do it again?" asked Steve.

"Yes," said Danny, already pulling Steve down for another kiss.


End file.
